Companionship Picture

She was the only asrai for miles. Bigger than the tinyfolk around her, incapable of communicating with them, and far too shy to even consider doing so. Nobody bothered traveling into that stretch of river she called home for years. Occasionally a traveler or freighter might pass through, but she would steer clear of them, watching from afar.

Forces beyond her control would change that, so it seemed. Two warring nymph factions lashed out at each other in a struggle for land, and they ended up destroying each other's respective supply of ferries and cargo ships as well as blocking a few key routes as an act of economic sabotage. The fairies stepped in, being the peace-keeping all-knowing political masters that they were, and quickly settled the differences between the two. But when the dust had settled, they were out of boats.

So the waters became quiet. It would take months to undo the damages the two groups had inflicted on themselves, and anyone hoping to use the river would have to wait.

Simon didn't have that time, sadly. He had places to be, and the river was the only way he could feasibly get there. So, after a night of strength games and betting with drunken fishermen, he had scraped together enough for a rowboat and a map. And he was back on course.

Until he found one of the routes blocked off by fallen trees and rocks. Nymph sabotage. But the river didn't have just one path. It had many branching paths, many variations of routes, many different hidden corners that had gone unexplored.

So Simon rowed his way to the mouth of a forgotten pass and decided he would take his chances...

That's where he met her.

Finals are currently kicking my ass in all 360 degrees that it can be kicked. So, I haven't had a whole lot of time for other things. And after that my family is going on vacation, so I won't have time to draw for a bit. So here's a little something to fill the space. Just a second to come up for air.

I practiced with a new pose. It looks okay. Wonky and a little marred here and there, but okay.